


Apologetic

by fishfingersandjellybabies



Category: Batman (Comics), Nightwing (Comics)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-19
Updated: 2016-07-19
Packaged: 2018-07-25 08:47:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7526194
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fishfingersandjellybabies/pseuds/fishfingersandjellybabies
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was much harder than he thought it was going to be, saying goodbye to Damian.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Apologetic

**Author's Note:**

> Nightwing - Rebirth gave me feels, so I’m sure y’all knew this was coming. This after that issue, I guess, when Dick leaves Gotham to go do whatever the heck it is he’s doing. I wrote this in an hour.

Dick looked over the bike one more time, deciding, _finally_ , that he had everything he needed.

(Well. Maybe not quite _everything_.)

He exhaled dramatically, and turned away from the vehicle. Damian was standing a few feet behind him, watching curiously, arms crossed across his chest.

(But some things you can’t take with you. And not for lack of trying.)

“That’s it, then?” Damian asked softly, eyes glancing up to Dick’s.

“That’s everything.” Dick confirmed. “Guess it’s time to hit the road.”

“Guess so.” Damian murmured, eyes dropping.

Dick smiled, and it hurt. “Damian-”

“Grayson.” Damian cut off. “I’m sorry.”

Dick gaped silently at a moment, before closing his mouth.

“I’m sorry. For everything.” Damian wouldn’t look at him, kept his eyes low, but Dick could see his hands balling into fists under his arms. “For being difficult. For…for _dying_ , and leaving you. For this business with the Court of Owls-”

“Oh, hey. Hey.” Dick soothed, immediately dropping to his knees. “Kiddo, none of that is your fault, okay? _None_ of it.” He reached up, and took hold of Damian’s biceps. “And definitely not something you _ever_ have to apologize for.”

“…Then can I thank you?” Damian whispered. “For saving me.”

Dick grinned wider. “Nope.”

Damian pursed his lips, and still refused eye contact. “You’re insufferable.”

“I know.” Dick returned quietly. He paused then, and stared up at Damian’s face. Thought of all the months Damian was dead, and then all the months when he wasn’t, and Dick was still gone. He’d grown up a lot, since his resurrection. Got taller, face sharper. Growth Dick missed, while he was halfway across the world playing spy. Growth that might have been meaningless, had the Court succeeded in taking his kid brother away from him again. “…I think it’s me who should be sorry, anyway.”

Damian’s eyes sharpened, and jerked down towards him. “ _Don’t_.”

“I’m sorry, Damian.” Dick pushed, squeezing Damian’s arms. “I’m sorry the Court tried to use you. I’m sorry they threatened you to get to _me_.”

“…You should be sorry for not _telling_ me.” Damian pouted.

“I’m sorry that our enemies found out how much I love you.” Dick whispered. “And want to use that against you.” A snort. “Like you had any say in it.”

Damian kept staring. Watching him like an animal about to run.

“I’m sorry it took me so long to find a way to fix it. To get you _safe_ again.” Dick continued. “I mean, honestly? I don’t think I’ve slept a full night since I found out. I worried constantly. That they were just going to hit the trigger out of the blue one day. Kill you in your sleep.”

He stopped and had looked down, because the tears were already welling up in his eyes.

“Every time someone called me, I was terrified it was to tell me that you were dead again. That I’d run out of time.” He chuckled lightly. “ _God_ , when I told your dad, I thought he might’ve punched me. I _wanted_ him to punch me, I totally deserved it.”

Damian scoffed. “I could have handled it.”

“Oh yeah, a bomb in your face, no big deal right?” Dick laughed, let himself look back up. Damian was still watching him, less guarded now. More curious. “…God, this is hard.”

“What is?”

“Leaving you behind, doofus.” Dick smirked. “I’ve done _far_ too much of that for this lifetime, don’t you think?”

Damian blinked, and looked up and to the left. “…Indeed.”

“But, I can’t. I can’t take you with me.” Dick said sadly. “I’m going after the Parliament. Gonna make them _pay_ for what they did to you.”

“…I could help.”

Dick sighed. “And they could also try to hurt you _again_ , and I swear on my _life_ , Damian – I will _not let that happen_.”

Damian scoffed again, trying to act nonchalant – but Dick could see the blush in his cheeks.

“Besides, someone’s gotta take care of our dad, you know? And there’s no one I trust more to do it than you.” Dick waited, and after a moment, Damian nodded in defeat. “Now, I expect you to call me every day, fill me in on the family shenanigans.”

“Only if you don’t call first, and update me on your progress.” Damian replied haughtily. “If I don’t hear from you by 10 p.m. each night, I will steal one of Father’s jets and come after you, no matter what.”

“What if I call at 10:01?”

“Too late.” And Damian cracked his own grin. “I’ll already be in Gotham airspace, at least.”

“That’s my boy.” Dick teased, punching lightly at Damian’s shoulder. “But seriously, Damian – if you need me, you _call_ me, okay? I’m never too far away, not for you.”

And his heart did a flip, or ten, when Damian nodded, and Dick could see in his face that Damian believed him. Believed that fact. No question about it.

“Anything you need. Weapons help? Have trouble with Bruce? Fashion advice? Bedtime story?” Dick listed off. “You call, and I’ll be here.”

“A video call would suffice I’m sure.” Damian tried.

“Sometimes. Sometimes not.” Dick pulled Damian forward, into his arms. Held him as tight as he never did. As tight as he always wanted to. “You be good, okay? I’m gonna miss you.”

And Damian hesitated, but after a second, leaned his cheek on Dick’s shoulder. “And I you.” Another stop. “Thank you for saving me, Grayson.”

“My pleasure, kiddo. Always.” Dick gave him one last squeeze, before releasing him, rising to his feet and stepping back. “Call you when I get there?”

“You better. 10:01 p.m.” Damian threatened jovially. Dick laughed, loud and long, and turned back to the bike, moving to straddle the seat. “…Grayson?”

“Hm?”

“You too.” Damian said. “If. If you need me. If you need someone, you call me, and I’ll be there. No matter what.”

“I know.” Dick promised. “You’re the best like that.”

“ _We’re_ the best.” Damian corrected, almost shyly.

“No matter what anyone thinks.” Dick hummed, shoving his helmet onto his head. “See you around, Robin.”

Damian watched as Dick kicked off the motorcycle’s brake, and took off down the path and out of the cave. He sighed, and turned away, speaking mostly to himself as he pulled his phone out, already preparing for the call.

“See you around, Nightwing.”


End file.
